Bicycle touring and commuting have become attractive outdoor activities to increasing numbers of amateur cyclists. These activities may involve trips ranging from a few to hundreds of miles and, thus, often require more than a modicum of physical stamina.
Bicycle enthusiasts customarily prefer cycle equipment which is of the multi-speed drive gear type, commonly referred to as "10-speed" or "3-speed". Those bicycles used for touring and most commonly for commuting are those having 10 to 15 speeds, and they find their design genesis in racing competition. Thus, they are lightweight and specially geared to achieve maximum speed for a given pedal pumping exertion by the rider or cyclist. To lower wind resistance, the traditional and essentially universal design of the bicycles will employ a category of racing-style "dropped" handlebars. While there are many variations in shape and dimensions for this form of handlebar, they include a downwardly rounded drop intended for track or road racing. Generally, to minimize air resistance, the racer stays down on the drops all the time so neither the height nor the shape of the top of the bars concerns the rider of a racing bike. Most of the drop handlebar designs are configured having a straight tubular portion which is connected with the neck of the head assembly of the bicycle which extends at either end into a gradual curved shape leading to the drops. To accommodate for touring and to aid in overcoming muscular fatigue induced by bending deeply on the drops, numbness caused by pressure on the nerves of the palm, and the discomfort caused by hitting bumps and chuck holes, the typical touring bicyclist will grasp the handlebars at locations near to the head assembly on the horizontal portion just before the brake hoods. This allows a somewhat more erect and comfortable posture for touring and commuting--activities in which minimization of air resistance and the fastest time are of less importance than endurance and comfort. No effort has been made by the industry to provide high performance touring or commuting handlebars or bicycle designs that deviate from the general track racing configuration, perhaps because of the infatuation of the bicycling public with the racing style. However, this infatuation occurs at the cost of substantial muscular fatigue, numbness, and general discomfort.